How to get your first customers (even with ZERO audience)

Join me as I chat with Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, as we dive deep into various lead generation strategies. Jonathan shares his strategies and frameworks for building a client pipeline without having a large online following. 00:00 - Intro 03:00 - The Dream 100 Strategy 10:48 - The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out) 17:59 - Go Where Your Audience Lives 27:08 - The Power of Strategic Gifting 36:20 - Content Creation (if you choose to) 40:34 - Key Mindset Shift around Content Creation 1) The Dream 100 Strategy: • Make a list of 100 people/orgs who already talk to your target audience • Research their platforms, reach, content • Focus on building relationships with them • Can start with just 10-20 names Example: Web design agency targeting founders? Start with podcast hosts, community leaders 2) The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out): • Don't just ask for favors • Focus on providing extreme value first • Make thoughtful, detailed pitches • Show you've done your homework • Be patient and play the long game 3) Go Where Your Audience Lives: • Join paid communities ($149/mo is nothing if you land 1 client) • Lurk in Reddit threads • Answer Quora questions in detail • Participate in Discord servers • Be the MOST valuable member No promotion, just pure value. 4) The Power of Strategic Gifting: • Doesn't need to be expensive ($5-50 can work) • Make it personal and meaningful • Think long-term relationship building • One mentor landed a huge deal with a $50k guitar gift • Small gestures = big memories 5) Content Creation (if you choose to): • Focus on MASSIVE value over production quality • Create 5+ hour detailed tutorials • Answer common questions exhaustively • "Low quality, high effort" is the new formula • Example: mastering . com's 11-hour tutorials 6) Key Mindset Shift: Stop obsessing over: • Social media metrics • Personal branding • Complex marketing funnels Start focusing on: • High-leverage relationships • Direct value creation • Being present where your audience is 7) The ROI is INSANE: • Single partnerships can generate millions • One webinar can outperform months of ads • Relationship-based leads convert better • More sustainable than viral marketing • Less stressful than being an "influencer" Pro Tip: Review your Dream 100 list every quarter. Most businesses forget this and focus on low-leverage tasks instead. Links Mentioned: The Dream 100 Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a7d1GSZoJq_pT2Ptbvc9HsZWPxNsQDhRcUvT6d1V2Jw/edit?gid=0#gid=0 The Canvas Strategy Ep: https://youtu.be/fr5xG_bTV44 Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav) Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/ BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/ Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/ AJ&Smart: https://ajsmart.com/